26 HISTORY OF THE MILE LEXUS CHAMPIONS MILE The Lexus Champions Mile is perhaps better known as the Cantala Stakes, and in fact, it retains this as its official ‘registered’ race name. The original Cantala Stakes – always a mile – was introduced on Victoria Derby Day 1919 to honour Septimus Miller who served forty years on the VRC committee, twelve years as Chairman. Miller asked for the race to be named not for himself but for his property, Cantala, on Dandenong Road, Caulfield. The Cantala Stakes moved to Final Day in 1960, rebranded as the George Adams Handicap, for the founder of Tattersalls lotteries, and run in later years under a succession of sponsors’ names. The Cantala went back to Victoria Derby Day in 2019, but is now bigger and better, as part of TAB Champions Stakes Day. Notable dual winners of the race include Aquanita (1960–61), Heroic Stone (1965 & 1967), and Seascay, who claimed the 1994 edition for Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes before winning again the following year for his brother Peter. The Hayes brothers dominated the event with five straight victories between 1992 and 1996. The most recent three‑year‑old to take out the Champions Mile was Silver Bounty in 1980, a $4,000 bargain buy who saluted at long odds for apprentice jockey Brian Werner. In 2024, crowd favourite Mr Brightside electrified a packed Flemington, with Craig Williams weaving through the field before bursting clear for a commanding win. Brett Holburt/Racing Photos 2024 VRC CHAMPIONS MILE WINNER MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ)
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